Switch



Oct. 1, 1929. p, DENNlNG 1,729,929

.SWITCH Filed June 27, 1927 Patented Oct. 1, 1929 PATENT OFFICE PATRICK F. DENNING, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO SWITCH Application filed June 27,

This invention relates to signal control switches, and particularly for use as a circuit controller for a stop light or other similar signal light on an automobile. The

primary object is to provide an electric switch or controller device which may be cheaply formed and which will be positive in operation for an indefinitely long'period of time without requiring attention on the part of the user.

A further object is to provide a switch wherein the contact elements may be nonresilient and wherein the necessary resilency to keep the cont cts in their proper relation is furnished by a spring capable of function ing to return the contacts to off position after movement to on position.

Further obj ect-s and features of my invention will become apparent from the following description relating to the accompanying drawing. The essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the rear portion of an automobile chassis showing a convenient arrangement of the switch with relation thereto, and showing an electrical diagram incorporating the switch; Fig. 2 is a view of the switch and operating mechanism therefor shown in side elevation and on a larger scale than Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view as indicated by the line 33 on Fig. 2; Fig. 4C is a horizontal transverse section through the switch as indicated by the line 44 on Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the major parts of the switch; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of movable contact element and support therefor.

Referring in detail to the drawing, A rep resents the main sub-frame of an automobile, and B a short section of the floor boards. C is a rear axle, one of the drive wheels being shown at I). The switch comprising my in vention is indicated generally at 1 and may be attached to the floor boards, as shown. The switch may have electrical conductors such as the usual insulated wires 2 and 3, the former leading to a battery E shown diagrammatically in Fig. l as grounded to the frame at 1927. Serial No. 201,749.

F. The conductor 3 may lead to a signal light Gr at the rear of the car, one terminal of the signal being grounded to the frame as at H. The switch may be controlled from the brake pedal indicated at J and connected at its lower end to a link M, suitable for controlling the brakes. The rod has a switch controlling iart N in the nature of a bracket, the memier I? being suitably clamped onto the control 131k so that it reciprocates with it when the brakes are operated to stop the car.

The primary controlling elements of the switch comprises stationary contacts 5 and (i and a bridging contact member 7. The contact is electrically connected to the conduc tor 2 and the contact 6 similarly connected to the nductor 3.

The movable contact member 7 is in the nature of a disc having a contact portion 7, an offset portion 7 and a central depression. The portion 7 may be maintained in engagement with one of the stationary switch contacts but normally out of contact with the other stationary contact. \Vhen the brake mechanism or other controlling mechanism is operated, the member 7 bridges, that is to say, contacts with both the stationary contacts to close the circuit to the signal light or other device to be controlled.

The mounting for the switch elements, above mentioned, preferably comprises a hollow frame made in two parts 10 and 20 adapted to be easily formed by well known methods and arranged when assembled to provide substantially .ratcr proof housing for the switch elements. Both housing parts have their main encasing portions circularly formed and cup shaped, the brim portions of the cups being adapted to engage each other. The part 10 has a planar closed end portion 3, circular side walls 14 and a racial flange 15 at the brim of the cup. A portion of the radial flange is extended outwardly away from the brim as at 16 to provide a. bracket by which the switch may be attached to a support. The bracket bends at right angles as at 17 and is perforated at 18 to receive attaching members. The flange 15 is of uniform rat ial width except for the portion 15, and at the outer edge of the uniform portion is placed together, the flange 15 is simply spun or folded over the flange 23 on the part as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Suitable gasket material may be interposed between the flanges 15 and 23 if necessary.

The stationary contacts 5 and 6, as shown, are mounted on the portion 21 of the member 20, (see Fig. 4). Each of the contacts comprises a hollow threaded stud with its head resting on a strip of insulating material 31 and having a reduced portion extending through the portion 13 of the housing mem ber 10 and peened over as at 30 Suitable insulating members may underlie the peened over portions of the studs. The conductors 2 and 3 may be clamped against the insulated studs by screws 32 engaging the threads of the studs.

The movable contact member 7 formed as previously mentioned is preferably support ed between two plates of suitable insulating material and by a metal disc assembled with the plates into a rigid unit, all these parts including the contact member being arranged to be formed by simple blanking operations; the contact member only calling for a slight drawing operation.

The unit comprises a circular metal plate 35, and adjacent insulating plate 36, and irregular shaped insulating plate 37 and the contact member 7, these members being held in superposed relation as by rivets 38. At least some of themembers 7, 35, 36 and 37 have hexagonal central openings complementary to the hexagonal central portion 41 of a shaft which serves, together with other members to be later mentioned, as an operating element. The hexagonal opening is in all the superposed members, as shown, and is designated 39. The member 37 has a sector shaped portion 37" which overlies the de pressed portion 7 of the contact element in such manner that one of its surfaces is sub members 10 and 20 as a bearing. The end of the shaft which engages the portion 13 may i have additional bearing by reason of drawing a short tube at 13 in the sheet metal (see Fig. 4).

One end of the member 40 may be angularly formed as by milling off at 44 to provide an attachment for an operating arm 50. The arm has an opening fitting the flat tened portion 44 to prevent relative turning between the arm and shaft. The arm may be secured to the shaft by riveting over the end of the shaft as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 4.

To control the arm from the brake rod M and bracket "*l a link 52 is preferably provided, the link being pivotally connected to the arm and bracket as by rivets 54 and 55 respectively. It will be seen that when the brake rod is thrust forwardly the link 52 will be pulled and thus rotate the arm 50. lVhen the arm is so rotated the sector shaped insulating portion 3? of the plate 37 will be moved off the contact member 5, and portions of the movable contact member will then engage both the contact members 5 and 6.

For, at such time, insuring the engagement of the member 7 with both contacts, 1 provide a torsional spring within the housing, one end of the spring being bent laterally as at 61 to engage a suitable securing member 62 carried by the member 10, the other end being bent laterally as at 64 to engage a recess formed by an up-struck portion 65 in the contact supporting plate 35. The securing member 62 as shown consists of a rivet attached to the wall 13 of the member 10 but a portion of this wall may be upstruck to provide a lug, if desired, in place of the rivet. The spring has preferably several convolutions, and acts as a compression spring at all times to force against the member 35 and thereby carry the members 7 and 37 forcibly against the stationary contacts when the switch is in off position, and for carrying the member 7 against both stationary contacts when in on position. This is important because it does away with the necessity for providing for resiliency in any of the contact members themselves. This will be appreciated when it is remembered that possibly the best contact material obtainable at reasonable cost, is copper or copper alloy. If the contact members have to be depended upon to furnish the necessary resiliency to keep them in engaging position there is always danger of crystallization due to constant strain on the resilient contact material and this is one of the primary reasons why switches break down in hard service.

The spring 60 serves another function, namely to resiliently bias the movable contact member toward off position. Thus in case it is found more convenient to simply move to off position when the pull on the cable is released. When rigid members, such as the bracket N and link 52 are used, the spring simply serves to keep the movable contact against the contact studs 5 and 6.

A somewhat more simplified form of movable contact member is shown in Fig. 6 wherein a single piece annular mounting is shown for supporting the contact element. The mounting may comprise a comparatively heavy disc 70, of material such as hard pressed fibre centrally perforated at 71 to receive the shaft 40. The contact element comprises an arcuate strip 72 lying flat on one side of the disc and having its ends extending through slots 74: in the disc, and folded over the reverse side of the disc as at 75. Intermediately of the two ends one or more lateral pro jections on the element may be folded over the peripheral edge of the disc as at 76 to further retain the element in place. 7

From the above description, it will be seen that I have provided a very compact and self contained switch assembly which may be easily mounted at any convenient point, which will be sure in operation and all the contact parts of which are well protected. Further, the various parts of the switch are simple and very easily made following standard shop practices. ith respect to th easing, it will be seen that this is very compact and substantially waterproof, and that the major drawing operation, (to form the cupped portions of the two casing 'parts 10 and 20) may be done with the same pair of dies.

WVhile the switch is shown associated with automobile parts, as for operating a signal light, it is to be understood that the novel principles set forth are subject to rearrangement and adaptation to any allied use.

I claim:

1. An electric circuit controller compris ing a hollow housing, a pair of stationary contacts mounted on said housing, a. shaft having its respective ends supported by said housing, means externally of the housing to rotate the shaft, a contact member slidable on said shaft and drivingly rigid therewith, said member being arranged to bridge the contacts when the shaft is turned to a predetermined position, and a torsional spring anchored at one end to one of said members and at the other to said contact member for returning the switch to off position after actuation, said spring being arranged to constantly force said movable contact member axially toward the stationary contacts.

2. In a device of the character described, a hollow housing, stationary electrical contacts carried by said housing, a movable contact member rotatably mounted in the housing and having an element arranged to engage the stationary contacts, there being a coil spring within the housing anchored at one end to the housing, the other end of the spring being connected to the movable contact member, said coil spring acting at all times to force the movable contact member axially toward the stationary contacts, and reacting after actuation of the switch to move the said element out of engagement with one of the stationary contacts.

3. In an electric circuit controller, a hollow housing, a pair of electrical contacts rigid with a portion of said housing and having their contacting faces in a common plane, a rotary contact carrying a member mounted adjacent the stationary contacts and comprising a contact element and insulating plates rigidly secured together, the contact element having an axially off-set portion, and one of the insulating plates having a portion seated in said off-set portion, one surface of the specifically mentioned plate being in aplane coincident with the active surface of the said element, and means for forcing the said element and the stationary contact members toward each other in a direction axially of the rotary member.

4. In an electric circuit controller, a hollow housing comprising two inter-engaging pressed metal members, one of said members being formed to provide a. bracket for supporting the switch, a pair of stationary contacts mounted on one of said members, a rotary shaft having reduced ends each supported in an opening in one of said members, a contact carrying member slidable on said shaft and drivingly rigid therewith, and a spring within the housing and surrounding the shaft, said spring being arranged to bear against the contact carrying member to force the contacts thereof toward the stationary contacts.

5. In an electric circuit controller, a hollow housing adapted to be formed from sheet metal, said housing comprising two major parts, each of said parts having an outwardly extending peripheral flange, one of the flanges extending outwardly a greater distance than the other and adapted to be folded around such other flange to retain the parts together and form a substantially waterproof casing, a pair of stationary contacts carried by one of said housing parts, a shaft extending transversely of the housing and rotatably mounted in the two members there of, a movable contact member slidable and drivingly rigid on the shaft and arranged to engage and disengage one of the stationary contacts consequent upon turning the shaft to predetermined positions, and resilient means surrounding the shaft and arranged to force the movable contact member toward the stationary contacts.

6. In an electric circuit controller, two substantiallly circular cup-shaped members adapted to be assembled to form a hollow housing, each of said members having a lat- .erally extending flange, one of the flanges being of greater extent than the other, whereby it may be folded over the other flange, stationary contacts carried by one of the members, a shaft substantially concentric of the housing and journalled near one end in one cup shaped member and near the other end in the other cup shaped member, a movable contact member drivingly rigid with the shaft and arranged to engage the stationary contacts.

7. In an electric circuit controller, two pressed metal members, each being generally cup-shaped and having a laterally extending flange near the brim thereof, one of the flanges being arranged to be folded to embrace the other flange to hold the said members together and forma substantially water-proof casing, a portion of one of the flanges being extended in a plane parallel to the plane of the fold and then bent laterally to provide a supporting bracket for the casing, and a portion of the other flange being extended to contact with the laterally bent portion to hold the casing members against rotational, displacement, a pair of stationary contacts carried by one of said members, a rotary shaft journalled near one end in one cup shaped member and near the other end in the other cup shaped member, a contact member supported on the shaft and arranged to engage the stationary contacts, and means for operating the rotatable contact member to establish and interrupt a circuit.

8. In a device of the character described, a hollow housing comprising separable flanged members adapted to be made from pressed metal, stationary contacts carried by one of said members, a movable contact member within the housing and arranged to engage the stationary contacts to establish and interrupt a circuit, said flanges lying in adjacent parallel planes substantially centrally of the housing, a portion of one flange being folded over the other to hold the housing members together, a portion of one of the flanges being extended considerably beyond the container centrally thereof to provide a supporting bracket for the housing.

9. An electric circuit controller comprising two substantially circular cup shaped members facing each other to form a hollow housing, each member having a lateral flange at the meeting joint and the flange of one 7 member being bent over that of the other,

ing the head toward the stationary terminals.

10. An electric circuit controller comprising two substantially circular cup shaped members facing each other to form a hollow housing, each member having a lateral flange at the meeting joint and the flange of one member being bent over that of the other, that one of said meeting flanges which curls over the other at the joint having an arcuate notch and the other member having an extension of its flange occupying such notch to prevent one member of the casing from rotating with reference to the other, one of said extensions forming means for supporting the housing, a shaft substantially axial of the cup shaped members and journalled in two bearings, one carried by one member and the other by the other member, a movable head slidable butnon-rotatably mounted on the shaft and carrying a contact plate, a pair of terminals carried by one of the cup-shaped members with which said plate may coact, and a helical spring within the housing surrounding the shaft and pressing the head toward the stationary terminals.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

PATRICK F. DENNING. 

